UF Researchers Create Powerful Cancer-Targeting Compound

A team of University of Florida medicinal chemists and cancer biologists has created a chemical compound that powerfully and selectively helped cells dispose of proteins that cause cancer cells to grow.

In laboratory testing in breast cancer cells, the compound, known as YX968, demonstrated effectiveness in targeting unwanted proteins in cancer cells and recycling them from the cell — all without harming healthy gene expression.

“We found that YX968 was quite potent, meaning only a small amount was needed to achieve the desired effect of degrading proteins, and highly selective, meaning it was very specific in targeting two enzymes,” said Daiqing Liao, Ph.D., an associate professor in the department of anatomy and cell biology in the UF College of Medicine and co-senior author of the study, published Aug. 11 in Cell Chemical Biology, a peer-reviewed journal in the field of chemical biology. “Our findings indicate this compound could be a powerful cancer-fighting tool that doesn’t result in excess toxicity.”

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